At Centrify we're big believers in multifactor authentication (MFA) and we're strong supporters of “MFA Everywhere.” Passwords don't protect us, our data or our businesses – and we need something better.
As an extension of our commitment to eradicate passwords wherever possible and bolster security with MFA wherever we can, we've extended our “MFA Everywhere” initiative with a key new “where” – two-factor authentication, or 2FA, for Windows logon.
We can hear the cries now: “2FA! Windows Logon! Won't that slow all my users down?”
Not if the second factor can be easy and use devices employees already have. Don't believe me? Have 30 seconds to spare for a video? Watch Jonathan Bensen, our director of product management (and a frequent Centrify blogger), login to his Windows laptop:
[hm-iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bReAaKnOD0w" frameborder="0"]
Pretty easy, huh? Works offline too. Not bad.
Windows makes up the vast majority of laptop and desktop operating systems “in the wild,” and a huge chunk of server OS as well. In business, we tie Windows authentication back to Microsoft Active Directory. With Centrify, we do the same for Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Unix and much more!
We manage user accounts tightly. We manage authorization on endpoints to prevent users from having too much administrative privilege. We control app usage and network access. We lock it all down…with a password. A password! Easily cracked. Easily guessed. Easily bought on the dark web for pennies.
It's not enough, which is why adding 2FA to Windows logon is so key. Thanks to Centrify's support for flexible factors, employees and admins can use their mobile phone, existing one-time password (OTP) tokens, YubiKeys and more to get easy access to their machines.
Two-factor authentication, and MFA in general, are key parts of protecting against password-based attacks. But it's only part of the solution. Endpoints must be protected, but so too must apps, servers and infrastructure. Centrify provides policy and security across your business to thwart attacks – without slowing your users.
And this is just the beginning of the story! The video above shows how fast and easy Windows 2FA can be. Stay tuned to see how MFA + SSO can increase security and eliminate hurdles for users.
Learn more about MFA Everywhere or start a trial on the Centrify MFA solutions site.
By Chris Webber, security strategist
and director of product marketing,
Centrify